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The following section is all about creating your own personal brand. In this section you will receive information on what personal branding is, why it is important and how you can create a personal brand that you are proud of.

A Brand Called 'YOU'

What is a Personal Brand?
Why do I need a Personal Brand?
The Google Search Audit: Rate Yourself
The Personal Branding Audit: Rate Yourself

The Kit - Header Tabs (23)-2.png What is a Personal Brand?

The concept of personal branding has become popular over the past few years, but what does this mean? Essentially, it is regarded as a way for the world to know what you are all about. This includes your character, your goals and your mission in life. Consider someone like: Oprah Winfrey, Steve Jobs and various public figures and politicians. They have all established an identity in the public realm – their personal brand – that enables others to have a level of understanding about the type of person that they are.

But beyond the hype, creating a personal brand for yourself is also an important consideration within the working world and job markets. The universality of the internet and the flourish of social networking sites has made it essential for any professional with a presence on the internet and networking sites to mould and manage their personal brand.

The Kit - Header Tabs (26)-2.png Why do I need a Personal Brand?

Your personal brand is essential because it is a representation of you that others are presented with when they look for you online, as well as the image that you choose to project in face-to-face interactions. Whether we are aware of it or not, all of our activities online – on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, etc., form an online personal profile that is searchable. And today, organisations actually use the internet to conduct employment background searches, and to gauge an idea of the character and interests of potential employees.

Actively creating a personal brand for yourself allows you to have a say in how you market yourself and gives you control in crafting an accurate picture of your identity, rather than it happening purely by default. While social networking sites are predominately about engaging in a social environment, it’s wise to view them as platforms on which you can easily start building a personal brand.

Below are some additional reasons to consider why developing a personal brand is essential:

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The Kit - Header Tabs (25)-1.png The Google Search Audit: Rate Yourself

Have you ever Googled yourself? A bit of background research is a good starting point if you want to see what someone will see when they Google you - and they will! Below are some tips on how to research yourself:

1. Sign out of all your social media accounts.

2. Search yourself by name, nicknames, misspellings of your name and your name followed by a few keywords, e.g. hometown, school, university, etc.

3. Search your email address, frequently used username, and phone number.

4. Check the social media accounts, blogs or forums of your friends, family members and significant others.

Now that you have done some research, what information did you find about yourself?

- What do you think this says about you to a potential employer?
- How much information would you prefer to keep private?
- What would you like to remove? You’re in control!
- What kinds of posts would you like people to find?

The Kit - Header Tabs (24)-1.png The Personal Branding Audit: Rate Yourself

It is always a good idea to undertake a broader audit on your personal brand and ask yourself some important questions. You can follow this link to create and extensive Personal Audit & Branding Plan for yourself.

Alternatively you can follow this link to undertake a Quick Branding Audit of yourself.

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Creating a brand - the brand called 'YOU'

Your personal brand needs to be constructed so that it is easily articulated in an online environment, as well as clearly communicated verbally and through your behaviour, and actions. Because you will ‘live and breathe’ your personal brand, it is essential that your brand is genuine and an accurate depiction of who you are. Below are some steps to guide you in building your personal brand:

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It is important to give careful consideration to what you want your brand to reflect and what you are going to do to enhance your brand. Additional to the above steps, consider the following:

Understand your target audience: You need to understand what message the people who will look at your brand are looking to hear.
Message/communication is clear: Your message should be clear, concise, and use appropriate language at all times.
Creative design/brand identity: You don’t have to be a design expert to develop a brand identity. There are many free websites and supports to assist you. You can always search some ideas from your role models and the people you look up to and respect to see how they brand themselves.
Relevance: Make sure that your content and communication across all platforms are relevant to your career development.

Ways to communicate your Personal Brand

Effective personal branding will help to differentiate you from others. If you are willing to put in the time, you can very quickly become an expert in your own personal brand. It won’t happen overnight of course which is why you need to start thinking about it now already. You may not be able to do everything and it’s ok to pick and choose; just make sure that you engage with the activities and platforms that work for you.

1. Pesonal Blog or Website: The cost of developing a website or blog is no longer that expensive. If you enjoy writing then a blog is certainly a better option. Ideally a website would be of your own name domain. Blogs also rank higher in search engines.
2. LinkedIn: A fantastic online resource. A combination of CV, cover letter, references and a moving and living database of your network.
3. E-Portfolio: A great way to showcase the work you have done in the past, and the work you are doing now.
4. Traditional Tools: You can’t forget CV & Cover Letter. When executed effectively they are essential marketing tools. The design, fonts and format will emphasise and support your brand. Your CV should have a distinctive branded look which should be carried through with all your career marketing communications.
5. Video CV: A short video of you talking about why you are the best for a specific job opportunity. A 60 – 90 second career commercial. Link to all social networking sites and blogs.
6. Wardrobe: Your personal style is tangible and is extremely important for standing out from the crowd. Select clothing that best represents you as it will be viewable through your online presence, as well as when you meet people in reality.

Creating a Brand called 'YOU'